


Didn't Think Your Cunning Plan All The Way Through, Did You?

by The Ansem Man (Cygnus)



Category: Mahou Sensei Negima!
Genre: Bondage, Comedy, Damsel in Distress, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-11
Updated: 2012-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-09 15:32:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/457074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cygnus/pseuds/The%20Ansem%20Man
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having dealt with Tsukuyomi successfully over the past couple of years, Konoka runs afoul of an unexpected scheme, and develops a strange new friendship... and maybe a new fetish?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

     “Isn't it nice visiting Kyoto again?” asked the ever chipper Konoka Konoe, nearly skipping through the streets. “Even though I come home every now and then, it's been three years since we've been here last!”

     “O-of course,” came the more reserved voice, belonging to the demure Setsuna Sakurazaki. With a small smile of her own, she added, “It actually makes me feel nostalgic, even if it's only been three years.”

     Of course, “here” referred to Cinema Town. Three years ago, when they had come to Kyoto for the class trip, Setsuna brought Konoka here, hoping to help her escape from then-unknown pursuers. The brown-haired princess, however, had easily slipped into costume, more than happy to drag her then-too-serious protector to her beat. Now, three years later, they were as inseparable as ever.

     Konoka, decked in a long sleeved shirt and plaid skirt, had taken to twirling around. “Hey Secchan! Let's find a costume! We've got all day, don't we?”

     “Are you sure about that?” Setsuna asked, still having minimal style and sticking with the trim black of her high school uniform. “I'm certain your father might worry if we went around here for too long...”

     “Aww, don't worry about it for too long, Secchan!” Konoka said brightly, “Besides, you won't be able to hide your body with that school suit you have on for much longer.”

    “W-what are you saying?” Setsuna protested, her cheeks going red.

     “Hmm? What do you think I mean?” Konoka asked, tilting her head in confusion.

     “N-nothing!” Setsuna murmured, turning her head away.

     Konoka shrugged, trying to hide the knowing smile on her face. Setsuna was far too easy to fluster.

\----

  


     Standing tall on one of the many flagpoles, out of their awareness, one blond gothic lolita stood.

     “It's been ages since I've been here, too!” Yes, even crazies like Tsukuyomi had bouts of nostalgia, and she remembered when she had challenged and fought Setsuna there... it had been so much fun! And come to think of it, it had been the only time she had managed to strike genuine fear into Konoka—back when she had been oblivious to magic. Now that crazy she-woman had sempai wrapped all around her finger, and furthermore always thwarted her plans. It was rare that she and sempai could trade words, let alone fight, before Konoka would somehow get in the way. Worse yet, any attempt at killing her outright would be met with instant defeat from  _either one of them_  (sometimes both!).

     The double-blade-wielder adjusted her glasses as she tracked their movements towards one of the costume changing rooms. Normally, if she got too close, either sempai or that wicked she-woman would detect her, but this time around she had a little plan.

     It was fortunate then, that there were two cloaked individuals who had appeared right before the pole she was standing on. Taking a short breath, Tsukuyomi hopped straight down, landing right beside the two of them. “I don't know how good my magic reserves are, so time is of the essence.” The two cloaked figures nodded, before darting away. Tsukuyomi stuck to where she was for now, her time to move would come later.

\----

  


     Surprisingly, there wasn't too much of a crowd out here. While Setsuna still had to be coaxed into her own changing room, but once she had actually gone in, it was an easy matter of making sure she slipped Setsuna's costume in with her, all while retreating a bit away to put on her own. It was pretty convenient that the place had such an awesome variety of costumes. With a giggle, Konoka already imagined trying out a multitude of them, just to see which ones would get a reaction out of the serious swordswoman.

     As a matter of fact, her first choice of costume was memorable for the both of them, but with the roles completely reversed. The fun part would be the fact that poor Setsuna probably wouldn't realize it until she had put the thing on completely.

     However, as she had finished stripping down to just her bra and panties, something suddenly felt... off. While there were crowds, Konoka's stall was private enough that she was essentially alone. The feeling that she was no longer alone was certainly cause for alarm.

     “Tsukuyomi...” she hissed, pulling one of her tiny practice wands out. Granted, she had a more serious wand, but she had left it with her regular clothes, and wasn't as nearly as quick as the short one she had. She knew Tsukuyomi tended to gun straight towards Setsuna—meaning the poor girl was in danger! Setsuna had protected her from so much that it was only fair that she return the favor for someone who was essentially very dangerous!

     She pulled out a seal—perhaps eastern magic would suit her well, as she could charge it and delay it better than a western spell. As she felt someone get closer, she got ready. Whatever Tsukuyomi was planning, she'd be ready for it.

\----

     Setsuna Sakurazaki felt like she'd been had. Again.

     The poor high school student looked down at herself in embarrassment. What was with being so easily suckered into putting on pretty costumes? She looked down, observing her dark purple kimono. It was very nice and regal—but it only reached her knees. The rest of her legs were covered by tight-fitting purple stockings, and platform sandals. Her hair, while still in its recognizable side ponytail, was much neater, more regal than she normally kept it. And the makeup...

     She had no time to stew on it, because Konoka was back. “Ah Secchan, you look marvelous!”

     Konoka, her partner and the light of her life was in a rather... delinquent samurai outfit. Unlike Setsuna's outfit three years ago, where she could be mistaken for a pretty boy, Konoka was undoubtedly female, if slightly rough despite her pretty face and neat ponytail. Still, it didn't stop her from saying, “...beautiful...” But then a beat passed, and Setsuna was once again on the defensive panic. “Wait, ojou-sama, isn't this sort of thing supposed to be my outfit?”

     “That's the point, silly!” Konoka laughed, happily twirling and strutting, getting some “oohs” and “aahs” from the surrounding crowd. “You've done lots of protecting me, but this time around, I'll protect you!”

     “Well...” Setsuna didn't want to admit it, but sometimes switching roles felt nice.

     They journeyed on for a little bit longer. It was a little bit busier—it seemed that the shows and filming going on had gotten a tad flashier in the years since they had been there. At the very least though, the plays, the dramas, the battles were fun to watch.

     Konoka even took a moment to join hands with Setsuna.

     That moment of closeness would not last long. “Huhuhu, this really takes me back,” a voice interrupted.

     The couple turned, looking to see someone standing on the large Nipponbashi bridge they had wandered to—and it was a familiar face. “Tsukuyomi...” Setsuna hissed.

     The blonde-haired stalker stood tall in the middle of the wooden bridge, smiling impishly. She too was in costume—albeit this kimono was a much more risque looking outfit with detached sleeves. It was reminiscent of her old boss, Chigusa Amagasaki, really. “Don't you remember, sempai, when we fought here? It was loads of fun!”

      Konoka however, stepped up. “I see you still hadn't learned your lesson from last time!” She bent one knee, sliding the other slightly to the side in a slight crouch, her dominant hand sweeping over to her (toy) blade. With her still bright smile, unchanged by Tsukuyomi's devilish stare, she continued, “Besides, you don't have enough chest to pull off that costume!”

      Setsuna knew Konoka's stance was weak, but she felt that this probably wasn't the time to try and correct it—she simply decided to drop into her own stance and be ready to fight.

     Tsukuyomi just used a finger to pull down one eyelid. “If you look deep enough into my eyes, you might find someone who cares, you cow. You won't get in my way this time.”

     “Really?” Konoka challenged. “What are you going to do about it?”

     Tsukuyomi didn't answer; she only gave a frighteningly happy grin.

     Without changing her tune, she suddenly leapt for Setsuna, who almost didn't see her coming, thanks to the lack of killing intent. Setsuna was about to whip forward to counter her—except that she overshot, and Tsukuyomi was right behind her. “Ei~!” And that would be Tsukuyomi flipping up the bottom of her skirt, exposing the fact that Setsuna had on rather thin panties.

     “Secchan!” Konoka cried out in concern, but the way Tsukuyomi had flipped said kimono had exposed it to her, and the poor brunette had a rather violent nosebleed. “W-wha...?!” Even Konoka seemed stunned at her own uncharacteristic perversion.

      Tsukuyomi's eyes twinkled. “Chance!” She pulled out one of many ofuda, and dashed over to the apparently perverted healer, smacking the rectangular slip of paper right against her chest. A snap of binds encircled Konoka, binding her arms to her sides, her hands behind her, and her knees and ankles. The sudden attack made the failed-samurai healer gasp and nearly crash into the ground, only for Tsukuyomi to catch her.

    “Eeep!” Konoka gasped.

     But Tsukuyomi was still fast. A second, smaller ofuda was used to trap Konoka's mouth—the same type of ofuda Chigusa had used on her three years prior for the summoning. “Mmmph!” Helpless as a trussed up package, Konoka was then put over Tsukuyomi's shoulder.

     “O-ojou-sama!” Setsuna exclaimed in dismay. Snarling, she immediately whipped her sword. “I-in celebration of my first kiss with ojou-sama  _strike_!” the technique, which Setsuna could only use with that embarrassing phrase, sent out a white wave of energy from her sword—an ethereal energy designed to only hurt Tsukuyomi (and maybe inanimate objects).

     But Tsukuyomi just ducked it, letting it harmlessly sail over Konoka's head. Now that she wasn't trying to tear Setsuna limb from limb, it was strangely easy to dodge that particular move. But she wasn't about to try her luck—she bolted in the other direction, laughing jovially.

     “Unhand her, you dastardly fiend!” Setsuna bellowed, bewildered that Tsukuyomi would kidnap Konoka and completely lack her normal vicious aura.  _How is this possible?_  Setsuna ranted mentally.  _This isn't like Tsukuyomi! Something's_ really _up!_

     “If you've got time to spout cliché lines, you have plenty of time to catch me before I take your lovely ojou-sama away~” Tsukuyomi crowed, happily running away along one of the alleys.

     “Mmmmmpph!” Konoka was almost afraid of putting up too much struggle and falling out painfully. But she still wiggled a little bit, trying to get free of the terrible binds that ensnared her. “Seeechnnnn!”

     “Ojou-sama!” Setsuna picked up speed, trying to catch up to Tsukuyomi as she jumped up the walls and continued her escape on the rooftops.

     “You're too slow, sempai~!” Tsukuyomi bellowed, laughing merrily. “Come on, step it up!”

     Not caring about the spectacle she was making by following her up there, Setsuna quickly bounced off some nearby walls to continue her pursuit. It was one advantage she had—she didn't need to hold back in her chasing, as far as Cinema Town was concerned, it was all part of the show.

    Unseen by her, two cloaked figures made their escape. Or rather, one cloaked figure, carrying another, made their escape. In one of those shapes, a certain hostage had been wrapped away, though it didn't look that way to the passerby in the town. 

     Setsuna was going in the wrong direction.

\----

 

Back when she was changing, Konoka's attempt to neutralize her attacker's element of surprise failed. She found herself facing not a gothic psycho, but a strange—and now familiar cloak. Ornate in its design with diamond-shaped frills, yet long enough to keep effective, she recognized this cloak as belonging to an old sect of enemies—Fate's girls. Although this time around, she couldn't see the face of which one it was until she had landed and removed the hood herself. “You...!” Konoka began.

“Hello, Miss Konoe,” the one known as Shiori greeted, a soft and seemingly apologetic smile on her face. The wavy, blonde-haired humanoid closed the gap between them. “I'm sorry, but I need your assistance.”

“Assistance? What for?” Konoka's guard dropped. While she and her class were still a bit anxious around the former members of Cosmo Entelecheia, their relationship had improved beyond hostility—or so she'd like to think.

That turned out to be Konoka's undoing, as Shiori took both hands on Konoka's cheek, and gave her a powerful kiss.

“Mmmmph?!” Konoka found her body paralyzed, strongly struck as Shiori maintained the kiss. Was this how Setsuna felt when Konoka kissed her for the pactio?! Well apparently, she didn't think she had been  _that_  demanding when she kissed the other, as her body was starting to feel like a ton of bricks. Konoka confused on why this was happening, fought to stay conscious. However, she still sank to her knees, weak from whatever paralysis magic Shiori had fed into the kiss.

She tried to say something, questioning why Shiori had to do this, but her body was weak, and all that left her were a few quiet murmurs. When Shiori peered down at her, Konoka found she was staring at a mirror image of herself. This must have been how the pointy-eared girl had gotten the dupe on them during the trip to the magical world three years prior by replacing Asuna.

“We apologize for this rudeness, but you need to come with us. We're operating under a limited time table,” the impostor moved Konoka's legs until they were outstretched, and she was sitting on her bottom. The impostor began to strip herself, removing her heavy cloak and short dress, followed by the knee high boots. With quick but gentle care, these articles of clothing were put on the real Konoka. The real thing stared helplessly, noting that she looked a bit thinner than her normally curvy frame suggested.

“Tamaki,” came the voice of this person snatching her looks.

Another cloaked person appeared, nearly scrambling the wall like a lizard, yet making no noise at all. Unlike Shiori, she had no hood—it would be a little difficult to hide her large horns that jutted to either side of her head. The dark-skinned girl hoisted the weak Konoka up to her feet.

“Why...” Konoka started, but apparently her impostor had been preparing for this. A quick wad of cloth had been shoved into her mouth. “Why are yymmmmph...!” It was pushed in deep enough to where it would stuff her cheeks, but her lips were also closed tight, with no evidence such cloth was there.

From her person, Tamaki produced a few skeins of rope and some clear tape. The tape was applied first—one wide plaster over her mouth. A second was added right under it, to keep it tight. She felt flustered as she was spun around and her impostor grabbed her hands, folding them behind her back. Rope was cinched over her crossed arms, over her shoulders, and tied to her body. Rope was tied above and below her breasts, and then finally hooked around her upper arms. Even if her hands had free movement, they had no leverage to move.

“How is it?” Shiori spun the captured girl back to Tamaki.

“Could be tighter. Good enough for now,” the dragon kin girl answered simply.

“Good,” Shiori strode over to Konoka's picked costume, and put it on. “My, Miss Konoe, you have a rather unusual taste of costume. Wouldn't this fit Miss Sakurazaki better?” Said costume was, in fact, a cross between a samurai and a miko outfit. It had red, baggy pants and a matching belt, much like a miko's outfit, but the vest was much smaller and lacked sleeves—and it was poor at protecting modesty. That was made up for by the strips of sarashi, covering the impostor's chest and even most of her cleavage. As she did up her hair in a tight, long ponytail, she continued, “...unless of course, that was the point.” Konoka's eyes going slightly wide confirmed that point.

“Mmmmfffmmfffrr!” Konoka complained under her gag.

“Are you thinking you'll get noticed by the passerby? Not likely,” Tamaki led her gently to the mirror, and Konoka looked, eyes wide. Shiori was staring back. With the clothes and the cloak on, and the tape sealing her lips completely clear, there was no evidence whatsoever that she was either Konoka Konoe or that she was even restrained in anyway. “Nnnmmmm!”

“Again, I'm sorry, but we  _must_  do this. You'll get an explanation later,” the impostor Konoka said with a small, apologetic bow and a smile that would look genuine on the real thing. “Farewell.”

Tamaki nodded, and carried away the delirious “Shiori”, ignorant to her cries, all while the impostor raised her thin bookmark, activating the magic that would bring her Konoka's real mannerisms.

\----

  


     At some point Konoka felt herself recover from the too (in)convenient passing out that damsels tend to do when being kidnapped. Or maybe the dragon girl had forced a sleep spell on her—she wasn't sure just yet. But when she did wake up, she found herself on her back, staring up at a moderately low ceiling. It looked to be an abandoned house, by the looks of the old furniture, even if it looked recently clean.

     Looking at herself, she was still bound, limbs spread like an eagle's, hooked to four rungs spread out from her. She could feel the faintly warm glow of a magic circle beneath her. She shivered—was she being used to summon a terrible demon again?

      However, she saw the big girl Tamaki amble right into view, but judging by the slips on the ground, she didn't seem like she was summoning anything so frightening. But with a muffled grunt she tried to pull on her binds. The dragon girl sat down with a huff, and leered at Konoka calmly. “Chill. You are not a sacrifice.”

     Konoka stopped struggling—for the moment.

     “Ministra Magi... Tertium.” Tamaki raised her card. The runes below Konoka began to glow, and Konoka felt herself suddenly grow warm.

     At once, beside Tamaki, three other girls appeared, twirling into existence with the power of Konoka's own energy. Looking at them, she recognized that all of them were Fate's ministra. All of them dressed similarly, decked in the same protective cloak, blouse, skirt, and boots combo she remembered, now adjusted to their taller bodies.  To her knowledge, all of them were residents of the magic world, and not purely human, meaning...

     “Good work, Tamaki,” that was Koyomi. The lithe girl with cat ears and a bowl cut was the first to speak. She regarded Konoka with a mild glance. “Here's hoping Shiori manages to get back here in time...”

     “She's okay, isn't she?” Though she was blind, Konoka felt like the horned Shirabe was staring right at her as she said that. “I shudder to think of the consequences if that half-demon catches up to us.”

     “You have nothing to worry about,” the cold response from the fiery Homura followed up immediately afterward. Her pale blond hair was tied in twin tails. She gave Konoka an equally hard stare. “From what I know of this magic and her power in general, it actually feels rather good. She can put up with being a prisoner for a little while.”

     “Mnnn?” Konoka peered up at the four of them questioningly. What were Fate's girls doing here, and why were they holding her prisoner? She had a good theory judging by the fact that they were forcibly extracting her magic...

     “So you want to know your situation?” Koyomi asked. “We've picked you, silly school girl, as you have the most energy in keeping us here on Earth. The legal means of pulling enough magical power to visit earth are so mired in red tape we doubt we'd see anything within the next thirty years. It was quite fortunate Tsukuyomi was looking for an excuse to keep you out of the way—the only regular protection you have won't come seeking us until we've long accomplished our task.”

     _Tsukuyomi put them up to this?!_  Konoka's eyes widened.  _Or was it the other way around? Either way, I've got to get out of here!_  But as she struggled, tugging on the ropes that kept her wide open, she wondered,  _What exactly are they here for?_

    “We're going to see Lord Fate!” Koyomi pumped her fist in excitement, as if waiting for the exact moment in which Konoka would mentally question them.

     If the bound magi had enough freedom to move, she would have planted her face against the ground right there—leave it to Cosmo Entelecheia remnants to come up with a convoluted plan to achieve a simple goal, justified or not. “Bmm hmmm tmmm bmmfmm!” Konoka tried to shout through the magical tape, but it only came out as a muffled complaint.

     “I don't expect a silly school girl like you to understand our goals, or why we need to deal with such lengths,” Homura said, still leering at her. Konoka was afraid that the ministra would have half a mind to use her artifact and burn her on the spot. Luckily though, no such thing happened. She was a little miffed that they kept calling her “silly school girl” as if she was still naïve about the world and her accomplishments meant nothing.  “Just sit tight and you can resume your carefree life in a little more than a day from now.”

    Konoka sank back from her struggles for the moment. She'd have to wait until she wasn't in the eyes of those four.

     Time passed, and Shiori returned—tired, but otherwise no worse off than before. She recalled that Tsukuyomi had spent most of the day hauling her around to anger Setsuna, far more than she needed to. But at last she had managed to get Tsukuyomi and Setsuna away, and she heard that Fate would be nearby tomorrow.

     It seemed that her captors were yawning, however. “We have a big day tomorrow. Let's get some rest.”

      _Speak for yourself, I'm still tied up here!_  Konoka complained mentally, but it seemed that, at the least, they took the moment to give her a few sheets to stave off the cold.  And they also rearranged her bonds, tying her wrists to just one peg and tying her ankles. Focusing, she quit her struggles enough to try and pick at the knots that held her wrists tight. The ties were tight, but pretty simple—fortunately she was able to pick out some slack. Hey, just because she was stuck as the damsel in distress didn't mean she'd be easy to keep helpless!

     At last, the rope gave away enough, and she was able to slip free of the binds. She jerked her feet free of the covers, and used her now free hands to pick away at the rope. In an even shorter time, her legs were completely free. The gag was a bit more difficult—she had to draw a bit of magical power before she could force it loose. The gag was gone, and she was free to walk. Other than being stuck in clothes that weren't her own, she was none the worse for wear.

     Now she needed to figure out where she was—and see if she could get back and stop the inevitable war between Setsuna and Tsukuyomi. The first thing she looked at was outside—she couldn't see too much of the outside, but the forestry around them looked fairly familiar. She was probably still in Kyoto, and a little further venturing out would lead her to find some way to contact help.

     She didn't have anything but her practice wand. Who knows what Tsukuyomi or Shiori had done to her phone? She still had her pactio card with Setsuna, and tried its mental link. No response—if she was in Kyoto, she was out of range, and too far from Cinema Town or her own home.

    A sigh—she'd have to make her own way.

    She began to step outside the small house, to try and contact someone and reach out to them, but as she stepped out the front door, she could feel something akin to a tug. She looked back—the seal was weakening with her escape.

     That also meant that Fate's ministra threatened to flicker. Koyomi had awakened, alarmed that Konoka had gotten free. The healer magi had looked at her livid face and considered bolting—but her initial thought that she would just desummon them when she escaped flew right out the window when she saw how desperate Koyomi looked.

     They could really dissipate and die if Konoka broke free like that.

     Konoka's face fell—even if she wasn't exactly a willing battery, there had to be a better way to resolve this situation. Tsukuyomi was at large and tormenting her girlfriend, and these people just launched a dangerous mission just to see their master.

     Konoka put up no resistance as Koyomi tackled her to the ground.


	2. Part 2

"It pains me, but I must stay here," Koyomi said, facing the others.

Homura's glare showed a hint of confusion. "I thought Tamaki would be watching her."

"Well she is, but so am I. As much as I want to see Fate-sama, I'm better suited to making sure this silly school girl doesn't try the same stunt she did last night," Koyomi folded her arms.

"Mmmrrrgh!" That was just a general complaint from Konoka's direction. Yes, even someone as bubbly as her can only take insults for so long.

"You sound so confident sitting on top of her," Homura raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

And indeed, Koyomi was perched right on top of Konoka, her butt squashing Konoka's tied hands against her back. Her tail actually kept Konoka's feet from jerking away. "Yes. Maybe you'll luck out and bring Lord Fate here."

"If you say so," Shirabe nodded. She turned to Homura and Luna. "Let's make haste." The other two nodded, and in a flash, they were gone.

Silence reigned for a moment, as the only sounds were Konoka's grumbling beneath Koyomi. However, the cat girl's irritation reached a peak, and she immediately hopped off. "I hope you understand what we're having to go through! You could have just sat pretty like the damsel you ought to be, and it would have been easy for all involved, but nooooo. I don't know why you stalled last night, but I'm thanking my luck and going to make sure that you don't have such a chance ever again (until we all leave)."

"Bbtt mmm nnt rrnng aawyy!" Konoka protested at once, unable to get the gag loose thanks to the magic. However, it seemed that she was starting to draw magic despite her state, so Koyomi clicked her tongue.

"I'm not buying that one bit," Koyomi said simply, stunning the brunette. She understood her despite the gag?! "I'm going to make you regret moving." The cat was blessed with speed even without her artifact, so Konoka found herself once again pressed against the ground in the blink of an eye. The captive healer found herself groaning as Koyomi pulled a length of rope that cinched her elbows together. Following that, Koyomi pulled Konoka to her knees. The healer watched with horrified fascination as the cat girl continued with the same length of rope, wrapping it above and below her chest. The tight grip felt more like a hug than she wanted to admit. She was truly cinched, and her entire upper body felt like it moved as one.

"Can't escape from that, can you?" Koyomi taunted as she moved back to the wrist bindings, redoing and tightening them. Konoka could have sworn she felt two fingers on her skin, as if Koyomi was measuring something. "I bet you were expecting that we'd just tie you up like those silly girls in those motion pictures! They really don't know how it's done."

That last comment confused Konoka. Did she really just call them 'motion pictures'?

Koyomi flipped her on her back once more, wrapping and cinching some more rope just above her knees. Konoka was feeling massively uncomfortable now, and yet she also felt... strangely warm. This could have been the effect of the thick rune below her, but she had been under that for a while, hadn't she? Shouldn't she have gotten used to it?

Rather than tie her ankles as she thought, Koyomi had pulled off the boots that she had been wearing first, exposing the silk socks that had protected her legs. Freed of those boots, only then did Koyomi secure her ankles. Konoka noted with horror, though, that Koyomi still wasn't done yet. One last rope was used to tie her ankles to her wrists, completing a hogtie. She hadn't been restrained so tightly before, and the feeling of being completely paralyzed was a new meaning of discomfort.

"There," Koyomi said. "Now you're going nowhere. While this magic tape is more than sufficient enough, I should add a new level of humiliation." She went towards a bag, apparently filled many of their supplies, and pulled out two strips of cloth and apparently, black panties. "After all, a single piece of tape, contrary to popular belief, is NOT a good way to keep someone silent. And even magical tape could be brought down with enough magical power."

Konoka looked at her with a sense of trepidation, but when Koyomi lifted her head, she dared not move. Koyomi murmured something, then removed the tape.

"Please!" Konoka pleaded the moment the tape was gone. "I'm not going to run away! There's no reason to tie me up like this!"

Koyomi's features softened—for all of five seconds. "I'll say it again. I don't buy it." Or maybe she did, but the frustrated look told Konoka that it was unlikely that she'd relent anyway. She must have really been anxious to see Fate. "Besides..."

Konoka looked at the apparent black panties in her hand. "Isn't that a little risque for y—mmmph?!" They were quickly stuffed in her mouth. "Gggmmm mmmmmpph!" And Koyomi kept pushing them in as far as they would go without choking her.

"Don't remind me of that panty stealing gorilla!" the cat girl hissed. Of course, she was referring to the mighty hero JACK RAKAN, who had been sealed alongside Konoka herself in Tamaki's artifact until he had beaten the both of them with ingenuity and modesty. "Besides, consider this payback for condoning that neanderthal's actions!" She wrapped the cloth around Konoka's stuffed mouth, locking it there. She also tied the second cloth over that, rubbing against the edge of her nose and covering her mouth completely.

Konoka shook her head—she didn't condone his actions! What else was she supposed to do back then, anguish in Tamaki's artifact forever? She tried to argue these points, but the thick gag rendered her to almost unintelligible silence. She wormed and jerked against the bonds, but their tightness meant the only thing she accomplished was wearing herself out and making her more vulnerable to that warm feeling.

Koyomi sighed. "How sacrilegious... having to bind you like this, I feel like I'm cheating on Tamaki."

"Cheating?" Well, speak of the devil.

"T-Tamaki?!" Koyomi nearly jumped four feet in the air in surprise.

"Not with the others?" Tamaki questioned, her head tiling curiously. They had stopped by to tell her Koyomi remained as well, but she hadn't seen the decision until she came back.

"I had to make sure this school girl didn't escape. It looks like the motion picture binds aren't enough to contain her, so I had to get serious the only way I knew how." Koyomi looked back at her. Tamaki regarded her with little emotion—at least, none that Konoka could see.

After a moment Tamaki let out an amused huff and examined Konoka. "Thorough," she said simply. Konoka still couldn't tell very much about Tamaki's expression, but that slight grin and extremely curious look put her on edge.

"I could see the surprise in her eyes," Koyomi added. Then as a gentle chiding, she then added, "Considering how much we're together, you'd at least make sure to cinch the ropes."

"Sorry," was Tamaki's only response.

"Hmmm?" Konoka tried to crane her head towards Tamaki, trying to peek up at her. What was with these two? They seemed different to her, but not for any obvious reason aside from age. Alas, she couldn't get an answer nor a better view, and Tamaki's quiet pacing was more unnerving that Koyomi's cruel brashness. "Whhmm rrr mmm dmmmg?" There was a bit of nervousness in that gag talk.

Then curiously, Tamaki used the tip of her wide tail, and began to stroke Konoka's feet.

"Hmmph?!" Konoka was surprised to feel how sensitive her feet were. She giggled uncontrollably as Tamaki's tail continued to tease her sock-covered feet.

"W-what are you doing?" Koyomi asked, surprised.

"I'm bored," Tamaki's answer was simple. "So is she. Aren't you?"

An awkward pause ensued. "She's a silly school girl who has to stay but, but there's no need to torture her _this_ much, is there?" Koyomi asked.

"It's not real torture if she's enjoying it," Tamaki concluded. A faint smile on her face continued as her tail continued Konoka's torment.

_I'm not enjoying this!_ Konoka wailed mentally. _Well, it's kinda funny and stuff, but I'm still not enjoying it!_

Koyomi shrugged and used her tail to try... behind Konoka's ear, which she also found strangely sensitive. She sneered in delight as Konoka kept laughing uncontrollably under her gag. "How's that, silly schoolgirl? I'll show you my superior strength!"

Only after about seven more minutes did the two beast girls stop their torment of the healer. Konoka sagged, thoroughly tired. Maybe they'd give up. _Oh Secchan, please see through their trap somehow and rescue me!_

However, Koyomi murmured, "That was fun, but now I'm bored."

Tamaki thought for a moment. As if an idea struck her, her eyes widened for just a moment. She went back to the long bag their team brought, and she opened a hidden compartment, pulling out a card. From what Konoka could see, it wasn't a pactio, but it looked very similar to one.

"What is that?" Koyomi asked, verbalizing the question Konoka could not ask.

"A cosplay card," Tamaki answered coolly. "Exchange magical energy for solid clothing the user imagines."

"What could you possibly do with that?" Koyomi blinked in confusion before following the dragon girl's gaze to Konoka. A knowing grin crossed her lips. "Ah Tamaki, I see what you're doing there."

Konoka froze. A faint flush came around her cheeks. This couldn't possibly end well.

"She claims she won't run away, so let's put that to the test, shall we?" Koyomi crowed, before using an expertly placed claw to undo the very tight ropes she put in the first place. Konoka dreaded what they were going to do against her now that they were freeing her. The ropes shed, the captive healer looked about rubbing her arms as she found her freedom short-lived and frightening—the two beast girls had already surrounded her.

"French Maid," were the only words that left Tamaki's lips, and Konoka was already awash in some long winded magical girl transformation. When she could open her eyes again, she was looking at, much to her embarrassment, a short french maid outfit with tight stockings and thick high heels. She had worn this type of thing fooling around in Eva's resort, but seeing it on herself now, in front of these crazy abductors, made her blush.

They wasted no time in reapplying rope, albeit this time the tie was a bit simpler—they simply affixed her wrists to her thighs, cinching them that way. Rope was also wound above and below her chest, making moving her arms a chore. Konoka looked down, pulling on her wrists and found that not only could she not move her arms without her legs, but if she tried she'd expose her panties! Granted, they could use worse ties, but this seemed to be a test of trying her escape, wouldn't it? Couldn't they have just left her alone?

"Mmmmph..." Konoka moaned.

"It's such a wonderful look for you, isn't it?" Koyomi taunted. She paused and peered at Konoka's blushing face. "Hmmm? Oh Tamaki, I think we have one."

Tamaki's gaze spoke volumes. "I knew that already."

"Oh really? I wonder if she's imagining that half-crow dashing to her rescue... no, if she likes this thing, I wonder if she's imagining her girlfriend doing the harassment!" Koyomi giggled.

Konoka had not, until that very moment—but when her mind went to Setsuna doing some of the same things Koyomi and Tamaki had put her through, her face grew red. She shook her head vehemently. There was no way she'd like this sort of thing! And even if she did, there was no way to convince Setsuna she'd do stuff like this!

The girls continued to giggle at Konoka's uncomfortable looks, though it was less sneering and more genuine amusement at her fluster. She wibbled a bit.

Only after a moment did Koyomi reach outward, finally undoing the thick gag that had plagued her since morning. "So, are you going to admit it?"

Konoka tilted her head in confusion, after taking the moment to spit out those lace panties. She peered over at the two of them, regarding them ever so curiously... then decided to ask her own question—one that had been bugging her since she had been kidnapped. "How'd you two get so close?"

There was another awkward pause, but this was much shorter, and of course Koyomi acted with a near predictable flustered rage. "Don't change the subject!"

But the blush on her face told Konoka all she needed to know, and a bright smile formed on her face. "That's adorable~! I guess you're not above normal things after all!"

"Why you little...!" The cat girl's tail was already stiff as she whirled on Konoka.

Tamaki sighed. Koyomi was always sort of hotheaded, so she took the moment to stop her before she could do something that she'd regret. Before Koyomi could leap out to attack Konoka, her thick tail immediately ensnared the catgirl and smoothly pulled her back.

"H-hey!" The catgirl complained, immediately squirming in Tamaki's grasp. But the dragon would have none of it, and proceeded to pin her down on the floor. "Let me go! I have to teach her a lesson!"

"And let you do something you'll regret? Nope." was Tamaki's cool answer, and like a practiced pro, brought a skein of rope over.

Apparently, such words actually made Koyomi freeze for the moment—and it was enough for her arms to be snatched up and tied behind her back. By the time she gained thought again and began struggling once more, Tamaki had moved on top of her. The same punishment she had dealt Konoka had come back to bite her in the ass.

And molest her in it, too, considering the subtle wiggle Tamaki gave as she moved to bind her elbows. Koyomi thrashed, but Tamaki was both heavier and stronger by quite a margin.

While Konoka had been an unwilling participant in her own capture, watching Tamaki and Koyomi gave her pause. First the struggling surprised her, then she caught onto the poetic justice and watched in embarrassed satisfaction. Only as Tamaki turned to Koyomi's flailing sock-covered legs and feet did she start noticing just how... charged this act was. She sank down to her rear, completely stunned.

And indeed, satisfied with those three ties Tamaki sat down and pulled the squirming Koyomi into her lap. The cat girl, feeling something familiar coming on and a bit nervous, began to squirm a bit more. "W-what are you doing? Why are you looking at me like that?" Even though she saw it coming, that did not make one clawed hand on her chest any easier—or less stimulating—to deal with. "Ah!"

Konoka couldn't even stop herself from her own commentary. "T-that's so... lewd!"

Tamaki paused in the middle of her attack, set Koyomi aside for the moment, and paced over to Konoka. "This is for your own good too."

"Huh?" Confused by those words, Konoka merely stared until she realized what was happening—Tamaki was putting her thick gag back in. "Wait, n—mmmpph!" The ties went back on. For good, embarrassing measure, Tamaki even added some rope above her knees, and hooked it back to a loose noose around her neck, more or less forcing the poor girl to balance herself on her butt and the tips of her heels.

Satisfied, especially at the blushing face of the captive, Tamaki lumbered back to Koyomi, who had been distracted by Konoka's misery and had temporarily forgotten her own. "Misery" being relative, as Tamaki's hands were once again quickly pawing and squeezing at her. "C-cut that out~" she mewled, even though the distress in her voice was minimal and more like eustress.

"Why should I?" she asked calmly. One hand began to reach behind Koyomi's ear and scratch gently. The girl's moans became purrs, even if they were mildly irritated. "You like it."

"No way~!" Koyomi flinched again, but that was right into a heavy squeeze of her breasts.

"So you want me to stop?" Tamaki's voice was often soft and devoid of strong emotion, but the other two girls might have sworn that there was teasing in there.

"No—I mean, y—augh, this is embarrassing!" she wailed.

"Mmmnnn..."Konoka's face was beet red, watching this exchange was somehow just as stimulating as some of the trouble 3-A got into with Negi, and yet it continued to get worse.

"You're too mouthy," Tamaki stated to Koyomi, all while shooting Konoka a glance. Apparently she had prepared for this, as she had pulled out something lacy from her sleeve.

"What did I do to deserve this?!" Koyomi mewled again, but upon seeing the mysterious cloth, her eyes widened. "Wait, isn't that your—" however, anything else she said was completely lost as Tamaki had successfully stuffed said thing in her mouth. "Mmmmph~!"

Tamaki wasn't satisfied in just shoving it in, though. She crammed it in in such a slow, tender fashion that Koyomi simply kept moaning. She used but a finger at a time, and even deliberately timing it to Koyomi's embarrassed moans of frustration.

Why? Turning on her girlfriend and making steam shoot out of Konoka's ears in embarrassment was entertainment gold, that's why.

Konoka herself could barely take it—she had always been someone attracted to romance, but this was too much! The real kicker was the fact that unbidden thoughts of Setsuna doing this to her wouldn't leave her alone! She was almost certain that if Haruna heard about it, she'd say that it was a symptom of Konoka wanting to give Setsuna the pants in their relationship.

Having finished cramming her other half's mouth and tied it there with an over-the-nose cloth, Tamaki murmured. "In a way, this takes me back." She pressed down, looking at both her partner, and Konoka at the other end. Her suddenly serious voice actually cut through Konoka's incredible shame, getting the magic-laced captive to pay attention. "It wasn't so long ago that, aside from the gag, our positions were reversed."

* * *

Back then, Lord Fate spent a lot of time journeying between many of the war torn lands that comprised our world. Even someone like you would be aware that the Thousand Master's victory was hollow in the sense that he and his followers couldn't save everyone. Lord Fate encountered many young children like us, war orphans who only stood on the rubble of our former homes. The majority of those children went on to Ariadne, but it was our current group who opted to follow him, knowing the truth of our world.

I, like so many others, was consumed with grief. Having to scavenge for food among the remains of my hometown, I was constantly fearful of attacks, and rarely dropped out of dragon form. I suppose things changed when I saw an emotionless young man and a gaggle of girls. Naturally, I'd rather they be just as scared of me as I was them than not, but that didn't quite work out, thanks to a certain cat girl.

I guess she realized I was more than a feral dragon, because she kept looking at me even as the rest merely passed by, looking for survivors.

Of course, one of them, I think it was Shirabe, edged too close for my liking. So I attacked. Fate was just outside earshot, but apparently, Koyomi wasn't. Despite me being tougher than she was back then, she didn't care—apparently the pure surprise of her countering me was enough to reveal my more human form.

I wasn't done though—something back then had set me off about Shirabe, perhaps it had to do with the fact that she was a wood dragon compared to my more reptilian form. But Koyomi would have none of that, and seeing that I was human, pounced on top of me instead.

"Let me go!"

"And let you do something you'll regret? Nope!" And she bound me up pretty good for someone who lacked half the power I did. She was pretty hotheaded and boastful back then, too.

It felt ironic then, that she pleaded my case to Fate the most, seeing that we had gotten along despite our constant bickering back then.

* * *

Back in the present day, Tamaki had taken to scratching gently behind Koyomi's ears yet again, making the gagged cat purr even more like a kitten.

Konoka, a little awed by her story, blinked. No wonder such young people had been swayed by Fate, and the ever-persistent "silly schoolgirl" narrative suddenly made a lot of sense—3-A had downright carefree lives compared to those who were Fate's second generation of minions. She began to mumble through her gag. "Mmmnn mmmph."

"Well, since you hadn't tried to run away, I'll put you in something more comfortable. How's that sound?" Tamaki asked. She looked down at her apparent girlfriend. "You think that's fair, Koyomi?"

"Mmmph," groused the cat.

Konoka only sighed, seeing no point in arguing, much less seeing if Tamaki could understand gag speak as well as her partner.

However, even as Tamaki's deft fingers began to unwind the ropes, giving Konoka time to stretch her legs and rub her wrists, she still felt terribly uncomfortable—uncomfortable in the fact that she was actually kind of anticipating what Tamaki would do to her.

She really wanted to ask how she had turned kidnapping her into something so... perverted, but since the dragon girl had made no move in removing her gag, her only choice was to accept how her hands were moved back behind her back, wrists crossed and arms folded as she was tied once more. Her shoulders and crossed arms formed a box, which was tied that way.

She squeaked again as Tamaki fastened a rope around her torso, followed by pulling it tightly between her legs. How cruel, in that she found that the rope could now be felt pressing against her panties and her most private areas!

"You should relax," Tamaki murmured, "and imagine that it's your girlfriend." Tamaki ignored Konoka's incoming personal anguish, now focused on tying her knees.

That blush struck Konoka again, and she rapidly shook her head. No, she's _not_ developing this fetish! She wanted to think that this was some part of the circle that was kicking in, and not that somehow that Tamaki had made her captivity appealing at all. She didn't even want to hear that mental voice chanting "ojou-sama"... not until she heard it again, realizing that it was real.

Konoka's eyes widened. "Smmchhmm?" Was Setsuna talking to her through pactio telepathy?

A resounding crash hit the shed they were, startling all three of them into a stunned, frozen silence.

Setsuna Sakurazaki, poised and sword drawn, hand landed right in the middle of them. It appeared that she had not changed out of her princess-like kimono, albeit its lower half was in tatters. Pactio card in one hand, sword in the other, Setsuna still looked ready to take on an army. "Unhand ojou-sama."

The princess had come to slay the dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow, Tamaki managed to steal the spotlight front and center the more I wrote on this. Ah well, read, review, and enjoy!


	3. Part 3

"This fairy tale is all wrong," Tamaki tilted her head, regarding Setsuna with a sort of detached calmness. Well, at least she tried to sound that way. From what she knew of Tsukuyomi's spats with Setsuna (and Konoka), bringing harm to one of them caused the other to get really damn scary.

Case in point: "I'll tell you what's all wrong!" Setsuna insisted, her sword poised to kill. "The dastardly scheme you used to abduct ojou-sama!"

"She isn't harmed, so I don't know what your problem is."

Wrong words to say to calm her down, Tamaki. "You worked with  _Tsukuyomi_ , and expected Konoka-ojou-sama to NOT come to harm?!"

Konoka shook her head. While she was grateful that Setsuna had dashed to her rescue, the person who needed her ire was already down (judging by her presence). They didn't need to fight! "Snnnchnnn! Nnnn!" She tried, but the thick gag blocked her from getting away with much anything.

Koyomi too, pleaded, "Mmmmmph!" but just like Konoka, her voice was muted, and both of them were powerless to stop the incoming battle.

Setsuna was the first to move. A flash step later and she was in Tamaki's personal space, aiming to smash her gut with an elbow. While one could be relieved that she wasn't aiming for the kill, Tamaki wasn't sure that mattered, considering she had to push her hand to draconic form just to absorb the brunt of the attack. And even then, it still hurt! Not to mention she had to brace herself to keep from sliding back too much.

Setsuna followed up with the hilt of her blade, aimed straight for her face. This was the true attack, but Tamaki saw it coming, rolling back with the hit and let it flip her over. It allowed her to counter with her thick tail, a blow that Setsuna could barely block and sent her sliding backwards.

Pressed for space, Tamaki righted herself and quickly braced to counter Setsuna's second lunge. She wasn't as agile in such tight space, but her tough hands were fast enough to keep up with Setsuna's chi-powered sword strikes. She just had to hope that Setsuna didn't press any of her faster techniques.

"Shinmeiryuu secret technique..." Setsuna pressed a foot down before leaping up, aiming at the dragon girl's head. "Zankuusen!"

Well, so much for that. Two wind slices to the noggin was painful. She struggled not to thrash blindly, instead steadying herself and readying her tail to lash out when Setsuna landed. While frustrated, she was impressed—this girl had been fighting off Tsukuyomi for nearly  _a day_  and she still had enough energy to tango with her in close quarters. It was taking all of her speed not to be chopped up! Fortunately, she could still keep up.

Konoka barely could, even though she had watched Setsuna's swordplay so many times before, and it was worrying to see the two of them fighting, fist and tail versus the energy of her sword. She wormed and struggled, trying to escape the binds that held her tightly. This had to stop before it got worse! Unfortunately, with the binds so tight and the two people capable of freeing her out for each other's blood, it seemed it was a long dream—but she wasn't giving up yet!

"Mph!" Konoka called out, hoping she'd reach the other person in the room.

And fortunately, Koyomi noticed. "Mgggh!"

Desperate to move quickly, rather than inch along as Konoka was trying to do, Koyomi rolled on her side, fortunately not stuck in a cumbersome hogtie. "Mpph!"

The captive healer stared at the catgirl for a moment, surprised that she had moved to try and help so quickly. Only after Koyomi gave another insistent grunt did Konoka snap out of it and move towards her. They awkwardly fumbled their feelings, trying to concentrate at picking away those knots while their partners clashed.

Back to back, they worriedly picked away at their knots. Koyomi's eyes widened, however, as she felt something give during her pulls. Bingo! A particular knot was loose enough and she could now pull on it even more, itching to tear it up enough to get Konoka loose.

It was just as well—Setsuna had grown irritated in her battle with Tamaki and picked up the pace. Her sword was practically whistling with her speed, and Tamaki's strikes couldn't keep up. The dragon girl's irritation grew as well—she wasn't about to lose here, not when Koyomi could be in danger. Her tail lashed out hard, aiming to knock Setsuna off balance.

It didn't quite work. Setsuna had merely ducked her swing, poised to strike.

"Secchan! STOP!" Konoka bellowed, immediately attacking her partner with a bearhug tackle that brought both to the ground.

"Tamaki! Calm down!" And Koyomi followed suit in the blink of an eye, squeezing her in an embrace that caused the dragon girl to stumble—and crash.

The violence was over.

Of course, as Setsuna gathered her bearings and looked over at Konoka, now hugging her desperately, she was awash with emotions, from happiness that Konoka was okay, to confusion, to terrible embarrassment that Konoka was now hugging her, in a maid suit, in front of the enemy. Looking over there now, though, Tamaki was in the same situation—looking horribly confused because Koyomi was hugging her and keeping her from moving. "Umm... ojou-sa—" No. Wrong words to use, even in this situation. "K-kono-chan. Please let go."

"Nuh-uh." Konoka answered, her eyes still squeezed shut. "Not until you leave them alone."

"But that's dangerous! What if they attack again?"

"Secchan, if you beat them up and then drag me to safety, they'll die."

Setsuna paused awkwardly. For a moment, she had worried that perhaps they brainwashed her—but now she saw that they actually had a good reason to fight back. "Well..."

"Besides, it doesn't look like they're too interested in fighting us," Konoka finally opened her eyes, thankful she could see Setsuna in her blushing state again, as well as knowing that Koyomi and Tamaki were having the same moment. "I'm glad you came, Secchan."

"Ojo—Kono-chan..."

"Oh my..." a flat voice cut in. "I didn't know that Sappho was a Greek god that took sacrifices. Considering she was just a poet, I'd imagine she'd be terribly offended."

Four pairs of eyes turned to see that a certain white-haired boy had stepped in. The cool, blue-eyed Fate had stepped in the door, flanked by his downcast allies. Apparently he didn't quite approve of how they got here. Considering the attention, the girls failed to pick up on Fate's off-color joke.

"L-Lord Fate!" Koyomi and Tamaki had scrambled to get on their feet and then bow before him—he was the reason they went through all this in the first place. "We apologize!"

Fate looked at them, coolly as usual. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to. Granted, they have been our enemies in the past, but to move forward, we need to trust them."

As Konoka and Setsuna stood up, they felt a little awkward as eyes were now on them. "Ah..."

"We're sorry," came the collective voice of the girls, bowing their heads to Konoka.

"I guess it's all right," Konoka said, dusting herself off. "I suppose that the whole thing about legal paperwork to visit here is kinda difficult to get around. But their presences are bound to me now, so what do we do?"

Fate tapped his chin, deep in thought. It was slightly risky, but he could shoulder the burden. After all, even after everything that happened, they were still his subordinates. "I can handle it from here. I'll redo their ceremony to draw from my power. It'll also be easier for me to send them back home safely."

The relief on the girls' faces was palpable.

"But," Fate added, suddenly cutting the mood. "Since they deigned to inconvenience you, I think it might be best to give them a punishment."

"Eeehh?!" Fate's girls complained.

"I suggest giving them the same thing they gave me!" Konoka chirped, giving him a thumbs up. "Although if they wind up liking it, you can consider that a bonus?" she added, pondering if she might really want to do such a thing.

Koyomi and Tamaki simply gave her a look, apparently knowing what Konoka was signing them up for. However, something about Konoka's words and timing clicked in her head. Trying to keep a smile from reflecting in her face, she simply said, "Then I guess it's fair."

While the other girls stared at her, Konoka shrugged. "See, we can all work this out!" And somehow, without even realizing it, she had Setsuna's hand in hers, squeezing it tightly.

* * *

The days passed, and life moved on. Konoka had settled back down.

It was a little hard to believe that they only had a few months of high school left before they could graduate. This was often compounded by the increasing politics of her home, Negi's efforts to revive the Magical World, and of course, Fate's brutal teaching.

It was amazing that she had a weekend where there was little to do. So much so, that she spent about the first twenty minutes basking in this fact. Only after she had decided to settle on a bit of studying, someone knocked on the door. "Ojou-sama," came the faint voice on the other side.

"Secchan, come in!" Konoka called. Her dutiful bodyguard stepped in, shutting the door behind her. As she stepped closer, Konoka softly admonished her formality. "And you're supposed to be calling me Kono-chan."

"A-ah, I'm sorry about that," Setsuna answered. A moment passed, before suddenly she was on the ground, bowing deeply. "And please forgive me!"

Konoka looked on, mildly stunned. Just when she thought she reached the end of Setsuna's groveling, she reached a new point.

"I'm sorry I didn't see through Tsukuyomi's nasty little plot!" Setsuna continued her apologies. "And I'm sorry that I couldn't save you from whatever damage Koyomi and Tamaki did to you...!"

Konoka sighed. Poor, self-sacrificing Setsuna. She gave a gentle chop to her head ("Ouch!" Setsuna made that sound cuter than it needed to be). "Relax, Secchan. And please stop groveling. You were certainly there for me when it counted, right?"

Looking up at Konoka in confusion, Setsuna blinked. "Well, yes..."

"But protection is a two way street! I gotta meet you halfway, you know!" Konoka continued. "I may be a princess in your eyes, but it wouldn't be any fair for you to have to do all the work. I've got to be able to get out of situations like that so you don't have to worry so much!"

Setsuna looked on, mild confusion as she processed Konoka's words.

"Secchan. I want you to help me train to escape situations like that," Konoka explained simply.

"Oh!" And then she understood. "H-how do you want to go about it, then?"

"I want you to tie me up and menace me like a kidnapper would!" Konoka concluded happily. A palpable silence ensued, and that's when what she said caught up to her, and she blushed heavily.

"What's the matter?" Setsuna was quietly flummoxed by Konoka's sudden blush. Setsuna leaned in, trying to feel Konoka's temperature. "Are you unwell?" Urgency grew in her voice as her imagination went crazy. "Did Tamaki poison you with a drug that makes you think dirty thoughts?!"

Konoka just blushed even harder. "I-it's just training!"

Setsuna shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. "Yes, that's right! It's just training."

The two nodded together. With their excuse set, Setsuna was the first to move, slowly rising to grab some rope from a nearby drawer and calmly sitting by Konoka. "Now from what I've read on some survival texts, the best thing to do if you're restrained is to subtly take a deep breath and puff up as much as you can." Setsuna drew close, using a skein of rope to secure her charge's wrists.

Having the general idea, Konoka stiffened herself as Setsuna wrapped the rope around her wrists. She followed suit when Setsuna wrapped above and below her chest. So far, it just seemed unnecessarily tight, but with Setsuna so close and so methodical and so gentle, she could melt. It wasn't quite the level of Koyomi, but it was certainly tight enough.

"...Kono-chan, you can exhale now." Setsuna murmured.

"Ah," the brunette nodded, and relaxed a bit. True to Setsuna's words, it was just a hair looser than it was before—giving her critical wriggle room. And wriggle she did, trying to worm and flex her way free as she did that night.

"W-wait a minute!" Setsuna said. "I don't know of very many people not bright enough to tie your legs, b-but you have to do that too!"

Konoka looked at her legs, seeing as Setsuna hadn't done anything to them yet. How embarrassing. Shyly, she brought her sock covered feet over to Setsuna, who took a moment to... massage them. "Eh?" Konoka began.

Setsuna had no idea what came over her. One moment she had moved to get some more rope, the next she had seen Konoka's feet plopped into her lap, and something told her that Kono-chan would appreciate her feet getting rubbed right about then. Her thumbs pressing against her soles just right, she knew that intentions or no, Konoka did like getting pampered with honesty.

Konoka looked on, her face red. Only after a little moan escaped her throat did Setsuna turn back and realize what happened. "Oh! I'm sorry!" She let go of Konoka's feet as if they had burned her, but then realized that she was still supposed to do her ankles!

"U-um that's okay!" Konoka said, taking a moment to wiggle her toes.

Quietly, Setsuna wrapped her ankles up. Konoka had no idea how to puff up her legs, if she could do such a thing, but she supposed that she could probably still hop if Setsuna didn't hogtie her.  _No, no,_  she shouted mentally,  _don't think like that right now!_

"Should I do your knees too?"

"Y-yes," Konoka answered simply, despite her red face. Was she... enjoying this? Having her freedom slowly taken away by her Secchan? Even as Setsuna cinched right above her knees, what was originally apprehension was being replaced by something akin to excitement, but warmer, more intimate...

Setsuna was suddenly close, looking concerned. "Are you okay?" She leaned in again, this time putting her head against Konoka's. "You look so warm, but you don't feel sick."

"S-secchan..." Konoka reared her head back at first, then giggled. "Do I look cute like this?"

"Eeeehh?!" Setsuna felt like she just stepped on a landmine. She was so embarrassed, just like all those other time she couldn't tell if Konoka was actively trying to seduce her or just acting carefree. "W-well um, the point is that you're supposed to get free right?"

"But you're the one who put me in this way," Konoka smiled. "And well, I kinda don't mind it one bit."

"W-what are you saying?" It might be telling that they were still talking face to face, and despite their mutual blushing, they hadn't moved one bit.

"Oh Secchan, you're so silly," Konoka writhed in her binds, but now they didn't feel so uncomfortable. Especially since her knight in shining armor was here. "Really, I—"

Suddenly, the door swung open. "Hey Konoka, want to go shopping?" Asuna Kagurazaka, their mutual dear friend, had stepped right in, her red, twin-tailed hair trailing behind her. Unaware of the figurative landmine she just set off, Asuna had begun walking further when she saw her two friends, one tied up and completely at the mercy of the other.

"Hey bird brain!" Right behind Asuna was the diminutive Evangeline A.K. MacDowell, a girl whose small body deceptively held immense power. "You're late for your training!" And well, she walked in the same awkward scene as Asuna did.

Both Setsuna and Konoka froze, completely embarrassed. A pregnant pause ensued.

"W-well, I'm sorry you two, but the door wasn't locked," Asuna smiled nervously as she began to back away. "I suppose I should just leave you two to whatever fantasy roleplay fetish you have righ—"

"Noooo!" Like a rocket, Setsuna dashed straight for Asuna's leg, desperate to keep her in the room. "Asuna-san, please don't misunderstand! This was just training!  _Training_! We weren't doing anything lewd whatsoever!"

"H-hey, don't act so embarrassed, we're not judging you here!" Asuna said, still nervous and still trying to get away.

Eva just stared mutely, looking at the grand scene of idiocy before her. Asuna and Setsuna were now arguing, albeit it was more Asuna protesting and Setsuna pleading for her life. Konoka just stared, giggling nervously. "Well, I suppose that's enough curiosity for one day..." Konoka noted airily.

Eva smirked. "I think someone didn't think their cunning plan all the way through."

The look on Konoka's face, Eva supposed, was comedy given to her from the gods. Confusion, to shock, to embarrassment. She was airheaded most of the time, but somehow the timing of this and her relationship with Setsuna was too well planned for her to be doing her usual. "E-Eva-chan! Please don't misunderstand! This seriously  _was_  training! Secchan just happened to make me feel good like she always does."

Eva didn't even reply, she just started laughing.

Konoka let out a gargled noise of agony, knowing that despite everything, those two would never let her live it down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everybody! I know it's not much in length compared to the two things below, but I think it concluded this little thing well enough, minus some description.
> 
> In any case, keep your eyes peeled, I think another DiD fashion will be showing its hand sometime in 2013. Hang tight and enjoy. Be sure to leave a review!


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